Fuel tank closure



July 9-, 1940- F. P. FRANKFORD FUEL TANK CLOSURE Filed Nov. 26, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

p k MW K O m w n A f KU N m FL y 9, 1940- F. P. FRANKFORD 2,206,948

FUEL TANK CLOSURE Filed Nov. 26, 1937 2 Sheets- Sheet 2 Patented July 9, 1940 UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE FUEL TANK CLO-SURE Frank P. Frankford, Ridgefield Park, N. J.

Application November 26, 1937, Serial No. 176,438 9 Claims. (01. 220-86) This invention relates to the improvements in closure devices for fuel tanks such, for example, as those used to carry a supply of gasoline or similar fuel for motor buses, -or other motor vehicles.

In practice, it has been found that the closure caps sometimes shake looseand become dislodged. When this happens, a dangerous hazard exists because of the likelihood of a backfire igniting the V vapor, or gas coming from the tank. My invention aims to provide means for adequately overcoming this hazard. It also aims to provide a double closure for a fuel pipe, or the like, which will automatically move to closed position and also be self-draining, when in closed position,

sothat accumulated fuel within the device itself will not constitute a hazard. To these ends,

I provide means, hereinafter more fully setforth,

which include a body adapted to be fixed to the inlet end of the fuel pipe and having a trunnion portion with an aperture at the lower extremity thereof, which aperture is normally closed by a member rotatable in the trunnion portion and having a port normally held out of register with the aperture in the body. 7

The passageway in therotatable closure member is also normally closed by a movable plate, which when swung to open position, simultaneously brings the port in the closure member into register with the aperture, so as to provide for free entrance of a suitable filling nozzle into the passageway and discharge of fuel through the port and aperture into the fill pipe. Means are also provided for automatically turning the member, so as to move the port out. of register 35 with the aperture and at the same time to cause theplate to close the passage in the rotatable member, when the filling nozzle is withdrawn.

These and further features of the invention will be fully apparent from the following detailed disclosure when read in connection with, the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. l is a side elevation showing-a fuel tank whose fill pipe isequipped with an' improved 45 closure device embodying the present invention, this view also illustrating a nozzle'and hose in position for filling the fuel tank from a conventional form of gasoline pump; Figi'2 is an end view of the improved closure device; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the inlet end of the fill pipe and showing my improved closure device secured thereto; Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing theposition parts assume when the closure plate ismoved to open position; Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 66 of Fig. 3.

Referring in detail to the drawings, I0 is a conventional representation of fuel tank of a motor vehicle having a. fill pipe I I inclined upwardly and outwardly, for example, through an aperture l2 in the rear of the vehicle body l3. At its extremity, the fuel pipe is provided with external screw threads l4 for engagement with similar threads formed on the hub l5 of the body l6 of my improved closure device. This body includesa trunnion portion ll, which in the embodiment illustrated projects axially into the end fuel pipe and is provided with a fuel outlet aperture l8 in the lower extremity thereof.

'Rotatably mounted in the trunnion portion, there is a closure member indicated as a whole at l9, which is provided with a substantially longitudinally extending passageway having an outlet port 2! therein which, when the device is closed, occupies the position shown in Fig, 3, wherein the port is out of register with the aperture I8. The passageway has a portion of its wall 22, which is inclined with respect to horizontal line hh when the device is in closed position. Thus, any small gas" drip, left within the passageway from aprevious filling, will drain downwardly and out through a slight clearance space 24 provided between the outer face of the member I9 and the closure plate 23, which normally covers the outer end of the passageway 20.

This closure'plate is pivotally secured to the body l6 by a stud 25 mounted in a boss 26 projecting upwardly from the surface of the body It, this boss, in the embodiment illustrated, being a separate piece secured to the body by countersunk screw 21. The rotatable member I9 has an extension arm 28, which carries a pin or screw 29 passing freely through a slot 30 formed. in a lever arm 3! projecting outwardly from the plate 23. An operating handle 32 is secured to the extremity of the lever'arm, as shown.

A stop 33 formed on the boss 26 is provided for 'coaction with abutment shoulders 3 and 35 formed on the rotatable member I9 and serves to arrest the travel of the plate 23 and the closure member l9 at the ends of their opening and closing movements.

A spiral spring 36 normally tends to hold the member 19 and the closure plate 23 in the closed position of 2 and 3 that is, with the port .2! out of register with the aperture l8 and with the plate 23 covering the inlet end ofthe passageway 20. This spring 36 has its inner end secured to a sleeve 31, which in turn is pinned to a screw 38 securely fastened in axial alignment with the rotatable member I9. The outer end of the spring engages a pin 39 secured to the inner end wall of the fixed body l6.

As thus arranged, it will be apparent that the spring normally will tend to press the abutment 34 of the rotatable member I 9 against the stop 33. When the closure plate is swung from the position of Fig. 2 to that of Fig. 4, the spring will be wound in a direction to tighten it. In filling the tank, when the nozzle 4!] on the end of the hose 4| connected with a gasoline pump is inserted in the passageway 20, such nozzle will substantially fill the passageway and hold the closure plate in the open position of Fig. l. Upon Withdrawal of the nozzle 40 from the passageway, .the spring will automatically rotate the member l9, so as to move the port 2| out of register with aperture l8, and at the same time the plate will be swung to the closed position of Fig. 2. If any gasoline or fuel oil or the like has accumulated in the passageway 26 due to dripping from the end of the nozzle, the same will drain off because, when the parts are in closed position, the inclined portion 22 will slope away from the horizontal. This inclined portion, when in the opposite position, as indicated in Fig. 5, also serves as a means to guide the end of the filling nozzle at proper angle downwardly toward the aperture l8 and port 2| through which the fuel must be introduced to the fill pipe. It is thus apparent that the device embodying my invention provides fool-proof means for automatically closing the fuel pipe after filling and effects a double closure and insures that any collected gas from drip or condensation will be drained off and thus prevent creating a hazard. The plate 23 also serves to prevent dust or other foreign matter from entering the passageway, or from fouling the bearing surface for the member 19.

Various modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention as defined in the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. A closure device comprising a body having a trunnion portion with an aperture therein, ro tatable means in the trunnion portion normally closing said aperture and having a longitudinal passage therethrough and a port which is arranged to be brought into register with said aperture upon a partial rotation of said means, and a plate movable relatively to said body and to said means, normally closing said passage and means automatically actuated by said plate when shifted to uncover said passage to turn said rotatable means to such position that the port therein will substantially register with said aperture.

2. A closure device comprising a body having a trunnion portion with an aperture therein, rotatable means in the trunnion portion normally closing said aperture and having a longitudinal passage therethrough open at one end and a port which is arranged to be brought into register with said aperture upon a partial rotation of said means, and a plate movable relatively to said body and to said means, normally closing the open end of said passage and means automatically actuated by said plate when shifted to uncover said passage to turn said rotatable means to such position that the port therein will substantially register with said aperture, and means yieldingly tending to hold said plate in position to cover said passage.

3. A closure device comprising a body having a downwardly inclined trunnion portion, a member rotatable therein having a passageway therethrough open at one end and with a face inclined to the horiontal, a port in said member adapted to be brought into register with an aperture formed in said trunnion portion, a plate movable relatively to said body and to said rotatable member normally closing the passageway in said member, a connection between said plate and said rotatable member to rotate said member from said plate and spring means effective to hold the plate normally in position to cover the passage in said member and to position the port thereof out of register with the aperture in said body.

4. A device of the character described comprising an inclined filler pipe, a body secured to the end thereof and having a trunnion portion disposed lengthwise of the pipe, said trunnion portion having an aperture in the lower part thereof, a member rotatable in the trunnion portion and having a port normally out of register with said aperture adapted to be brought into register upon a turning movement thereof, said member having a passageway therethrough communicating with said port, a closure plate for the passageway pivotally mounted to said body having a lost motion connection with said member, whereby rocking of the plate about its pivot will turn said member, and uncover said passageway and bring said port into register with said aperture, and yieldable means normally tending to hold the plate in closed relation to the passage and the port out of register with the aperture.

5. A closure device for fuel tanks comprising a filler pipe having a body fixedly secured to the inlet end thereof, said body having an aperture forming the inlet for fuel to said pipe, a rotatable member journalled in said body having a longitudinal passageway therein and a port communicating with said passageway, means normally tending to hold said member in such position that the port is out of register with said aperture, a plate pivoted to said body independently of said member normally closing the passageway and a connection from said plate to said member to rotate said member from said plate sufiiciently to uncover the passageway and bring the port into register with said aperture.

6. A device of the character described comprising a fuel tank having an upwardly extended filler pipe, a closure device fixedly secured to the inlet end thereof, having an aperture opening into the filler pipe, a member rotatable in said device and having a longitudinal passageway open at one end and having one face inclined to the horizontal and directed downwardly and outwardly with respect to the filler pipe when the member is in closed position, said member having a'port adapted in one position to establish communication with the filler pipe and in another position to prevent such communication and yielding means normally tending to hold said member in position to close communication between the passage and the filler pipe.

'7. A device of the character described comprising a fuel tank having an upwardly extended filler pipe, a closure device fixedly secured to the inlet end thereof, having an aperture opening into the filler pipe, a member rotatable in said device and having a longitudinal passageway therein, one face of which is inclined to the horizontal and directed downwardly and outwardly with respect to the filler pipe, when the member is in closed position, said member having a port adapted in one position to establish communication with the filler pipe and in another position to prevent such communication, yielding means normally tending to hold said member in position to close communication between the passage and the filler pipe and a plate movable relative to said member and normally covering the passageway therein, and means connecting said plate to said member and effective when the plate is shifted to position to uncover said passageway to rotate said member to establish communication between the passageway and the filler pipe through said port.

8. A closure device comprising a body having a downwardly inclined trunnion portion open at its upper end and having an opening in the lower half of the lower end, a closure member I in said trunnion portion having a longitudinal passage therethrough in substantial alignment with said opening when in open position and rotatable to closed position to bring said passage out of alignment to said opening, a plate pivoted on said device at one side of said closure member to swing over and cover said closure member and to swing clear of the upper end of said passage and means on said cover plate to engage and swing said closure member to open position when the cover plate is swung clear of said closure member.

9. The closure device of claim 8 in which said passage is tapered downwardly from one side.

FRANK P. FRANKFORD. 

